America's Fastest-Growing Education Trend: Homeschooling
A Washington Post analysis shows that homeschooling has become America's fastest-growing form of education. The dramatic rise in homeschooling began at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and continues even in 2023.
Hundreds of thousands of children across the US are now learning outside of a conventional academic setting. This shift will have a huge impact on public schools, society, and children in general.
This rise in home education has been widely celebrated by advocates. However, some people are critical of weak regulation. Home-schooled kids do not have to submit to any formal testing for academic progress in most states.
Florida holds the largest number of homeschooled kids with over 154,000. Yet, interestingly, the fastest increase in home-educated children is in New York.
American parents have given many reasons as to why they made the decision to pull their children out of mainstream education. The biggest examples were concerns about school shootings, bullying, and the quality of the school environment.
Some parents are also concerned about the intrusion of politics into public education. Other parents disagree with how topics, such as sexual identity and Black history, are taught in the classroom.
Many homeschooling families say that they have established a community through platforms, like Facebook. However, public schools still have a lot to offer local people in times of hardship.
//Questions//
1. Why are some people critical of homeschooling?
Answer: Some people are critical of homeschooling because of the weak regulation; homeschooled kids don't have to submit to any formal testing for academic progress in most states.
Reason: (3rd Paragraph) However, some people are critical of weak regulation. Home-schooled kids do not have to submit to any formal testing for academic progress in most states.
2. What reasons have parents given for pulling their children out of mainstream education?
Answer: The main reasons that parents have given for pulling their children out of mainstream education are concerns about school shootings, bullying, and the quality of the school environment.
Reason: (5th Paragraph) American parents have given many reasons as to why they made the decision to pull their children out of mainstream education. The biggest examples were concerns about school shootings, bullying, and the quality of the school environment.
3. How have many homeschooling families established a community?
Answer: Many homeschooling families have established a community through platforms, like Facebook.
Reason: (7th Paragraph) Many homeschooling families say that they have established a community through platforms, like Facebook.
//Discussions//
Q1. Do you think an online community is as good as an in-person community? Please share your thoughts.
->
Yes, I think so.
They're not the same, but both have their pros and cons.
Online, you can talk to friends even if they are from far away countries. It doesn't choose a time or place.
However, especially when trying to start a new business, I think it often works better to meet and talk in person.
It takes time and money, but sharing space may allow us to be creative.
Q2. Should homeschooled kids still have to take national exams? Please explain.
->
I think it depends on what the child wants to become.
If that child wants to become a teacher, lawyer, or doctor, they must take a national exam.
However, I don't think it's necessary if you want to be an artist, a baker, or an architect.
Without going to school, we can independently acquire the knowledge necessary for a particular profession.
However, I think you can do things at school, such as living together with others, succeeding in big projects, sharing knowledge and experiences you don't know as if they were your own, and making lifelong mentors and friends.
Q3. Do you think homeschooling will continue to increase in popularity? Please discuss.
->
Yes, I think so.
If you go to school and are bullied, discriminated against, or unable to learn anything interesting, it's much more fun to study at home.
However, I think the experience of collaborating with others when you are young is precious.
Being part of a community and doing some activities while studying at home is essential.
Q4. Would you rather homeschool your children or send them to a public school? Please share your thoughts.
->
If the child does not refuse to go to public school, I would like to send him to public school.
However, if you don't want to go to school, I think there is no problem in educating your child at home.
In that case, I think making time for hands-on experiences and emotional education, such as physical education, music, art, chemical experiments, and forest school, is necessary.
Q5. Do you think politics should be taught in schools? Why or why not?
->
No, I don't think so.
However, we must study Japanese history, world history, geopolitics, religion, etc.
It is essential to know that there are people worldwide from various positions rather than just the biased knowledge of a few.
Q6. Do you think it's appropriate for elementary school students to learn about topics like sexual identity? Please support your answer.
->
I don't think so.
Because they are still young and don't know who they are.
I don't think forcing adults to do something for convenience is good.
America's Fastest-Growing Education Trend: Homeschooling
https://nativecamp.net/textbook/page-detail/2/22681
Home schooling’s rise from fringe to fastest-growing form of education
A district-by-district look at home schooling’s explosive growth, which a Post analysis finds has far outpaced the rate at private and public schools
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/interactive/2023/homeschooling-growth-data-by-district/
Add info)
Homeschooling Is ‘America’s Fastest Growing Form of Education,’ Experts Say
1)
Since the 2017-2018 school year, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of parents homeschooling. The growth has come with pushback from state educators like Hillsborough County School Board member Lynn Gray, who said parents don't have "any understanding of education."
According to Gray, this increase in homeschooling will be detrimental to society. I believe homeschooling is not an easy choice, but it is often far more rewarding. This isn't coming from the perspective of a biased parent but from a little child who has experienced both homeschooling and public schooling.
2)
I was homeschooled until grade 8. Even then, my middle school was tiny, on an American army base in Germany. Life up to that point was vibrant and full of enriching experiences as my parents involved my siblings and me in church, sports, choir, theatre, and co-op activities.
I learned a lot from my mother's teaching. My experiences contradict the stigma that homeschooling will damage a child's social skills or hinder their learning. It wasn't until I was enrolled in a much larger high school in the US that it became harder to be as involved in the community.
3)
The public school routine felt hectic compared to my homeschool routine, and not many of my teachers seemed to have my best interests at heart. From my first year of high school to my senior year of college, I experienced liberal teachers imposing their beliefs, bomb and active shooter threats to the school and a lot of students (and teachers) who didn't seem to care.
I know that not every public school experience is like mine. Still, many are, and all I can say is that the rise of homeschooling is reasonable and necessary - especially as woke ideology continues to infiltrate the education system.
4)
According to the Washington Post, "homeschooling has become - by a wide margin - America's fastest-growing form of education". The Post collected data from 32 states (representing 60% of the country's school-age population) and found that "the number of homeschooled students increased by 51% over the past six school years," while public school enrolment dropped by 4%.
Another poll found that school choice has bipartisan support, with 88% of Democrats and 83% of Republicans in favour, a rare consensus in a divided country.
5)
Since the 2017-2018 school year, even liberal states have seen a dramatic increase in homeschooling, with California up 78%, New York up 103%, and Washington up 108%. These statistics defy predictions that homeschooling would decline after the pandemic.
6)
With this increase, the Post noted the concerns of critics who claim there is no government oversight of homeschooled students. Elizabeth Bartholet, a professor at Harvard Law School, said: "We should be worried about whether they're learning anything. This professor also claimed that homeschooling "poses real dangers to children and society".
7)
However, while many parental concerns led to this boom, including school shootings and bullying, about half of the parents taking their children out of public schools are concerned about radical left-wing ideology. I can say this is happening first-hand, but you don't have to look very far to see it. It stands to reason that the only 'danger' that increased homeschooling poses is to the left's agenda.
8)
On Wednesday's episode of Washington Watch, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins and FRC Senior Fellow for Education Studies Meg Kilgannon further unpacked the trend. Aside from the fact that more homeschooling saves taxpayers money, Kilgannon stressed that the Post is "presenting a picture of homeschooling to a specific audience that is not a positive one.
9)
They are doing this, she continued, because "the left doesn't have children. They have our children. So they can't indoctrinate our children if we keep them at home. Perkins agreed, stressing the importance of parents being vigilant, "knowing that there's a policy around the corner that's going to try to limit your ability to teach or influence your children.
Indeed, we're seeing this with public school transgender policies, where lawmakers openly argue that parents don't know what's best for their children.
10)
For Kilgannon, this rise in homeschooling will likely lead to more government attempts to "regulate it more and more". She added: "In the end, it's usually about the money, but it's also about access to children's minds.
Perkins and Kilgannon both agreed that homeschooling is worth the effort. "You know," she pointed out, "you can control the quality of the education, you can control the content of the education, and you get to spend time with your favourite people, your children. ... So there's not a lot of downsides."
11)
Perkins shared that he and his family have "no regrets" about homeschooling their five children. He concluded it's about "sharing your values with them and preparing them not only to compete in the workforce but to survive and thrive in a culture increasingly hostile to faith and values".
